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Dieting and losing weight is something that many people are trying to do and it seems like some people are always on a diet to no avail. The term “diet” is a word that is somewhat meaningless when it comes to actually losing weight, because it something that is temporary. Read more…
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS Burn The Fat At least 7 scientific studies have provided strong evidence that energy containing beverages (i.e., “liquid calories”) do not properly activate the satiety mechanisms in the body and brain and do not satisfy the appetite as well as food in solid form. Epidemiological research also supports a positive association between calorie-containing beverage consumption and increased body weight or body mass index. New research now suggests that soda may not be the only culprit… The primary source of liquid calories in the United States Diet is carbohydrate, namely soda. Now running a close second are specialty and dessert coffees. Did you know that a 16 ounce Frappucino can contain 500 calories or even more! That’s one-third of a typical female’s daily calorie intake while on a fat loss program. A recent study at Purdue University published in the International Journal of Obesity set out to learn even more about this bodyfat – liquid calories relationship. Researchers compared solid and beverage forms of foods composed primarily of carbohydrate, fat or protein in order to document the independent effect of food form in foods with different dominant macronutrient sources. Based on previous research, some experts have recommended targeting specific beverages as being “worse” than others. High fructose corn syrup and soda has been singled out the most and you’ve probably seen that yourself in the news. There’s no question that soda has been on top of the “hit list” for some time now, by virtue of the amounts and frequency of consumption alone. However, this recent study says that from a pure energy balance perspective, we should be cautious about ALL liquid calories, not just soda and not just carbohydrates! Fruit juice for example, appears to be an obvious improvement over soda, so many people have swapped out their soda for fruit juice. However, when fruit juice is compared to an equal amount of calories from whole fruit, the whole fruit satisfies appetite better (largely due to the bulk and fiber content), and so you tend to eat fewer calories for the day. [On an interesting side note, soup does not seem to apply; soup has higher satiety value than calorie containing beverages, possibly for mere cognitive reasons.] If you were to meticulously track your calories from beverages and you made sure that your calories remained the same for the day, whether liquid or solid, there would probably be little or no difference in your body composition. But that’s not what usually happens in free-living humans. Most people do not accurately track or report their caloric intake. Our mistake is that we tend to drink calories IN ADDITION TO our usual food intake, not instead of it. Men are especially guilty of this when they drink alcohol – Men tend to drink AND eat, while women tend to drink INSTEAD OF eating. This new research found that with all three macronutrients – protein, carbs or fat – daily calorie intake was significantly greater when the beverage form was consumed as compared to the solid. Yes, it’s true! Even protein drinks did not satisfy the appetite the way that protein foods did! While you would think that protein drinks are purely a good thing, because protein foods have been proven to reduce appetite and increase satiety, if you turn a solid protein food into a protein drink, it loses it’s appetite suppressive properties in the same way that happens when you turn fruit into fruit juice. [NOTE: After weight training workouts, liquid nutrition may have benefits that outweigh any downside, especially on muscle-gaining programs] Why do liquid calories fail to elicit the same response as whole foods? Reasons include:
As a result, our genetic code has never developed the physiological mechanisms to properly register the caloric content in liquids the way it does when you eat, chew and swallow whole foods. Bottom line: This study suggests that we shouldn’t just target one type of liquid calories such as soda. If you’re trying to beat body fat, it’s wise to limit all types of liquid calories and eat whole foods as much as possible. Start by ditching the soda. Then ditch the high calorie dessert coffees. Then cut back on the alcohol. From there, be cautious even about milk, juice and protein drinks. Drink water or tea instead, or limited amounts of black coffee – without all the high calorie extras. If you do consume any beverages that contain calories, such as protein shakes, be sure to account for those calories meticulously and be sure you don’t drink them in addition to your usual food intake, but in place of an equal amount of food calories. Remember, those protein shakes you might be drinking are called “meal replacements” not “free calories!” For many years I have suggested focusing primarily on whole foods rather than liquids, even protein shakes. Unlike so many other fat reduction programs, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle does not require any kind of liquid meal replacement or protein drinks and our company does not exist to sell supplements; we are here to educate you and millions of others about the realities of body fat loss. We now have even more scientific data that confirms what Burn The Fat has been teaching all along. I hope you found this helpful. Learn more about “Burn The Fat.” Train hard and expect success, Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS Fat Loss Coach Burn The Fat Reference: Effects of food form on appetite and energy intake in lean and obese young adults. International Journal of Obesity. 2007 Nov (11):1688-95. Mourao DM, Bressan J, Campbell WW, Mattes RD. Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059, USA. About the Author: Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: Burn The Fat
Many people believe that having a perfectly healthy body means that they will be able to live a normal and productive life. However, having a healthy body alone is not enough in order to live a normal life. You have to consider that mental health is also very important. Besides, the brain is the organ that controls everything in your body. Having a brain defect means that it can have significant impact on the way you live your daily life.
You have to consider that there are several kinds of brain disorder. Some types of brain disorder can affect your basic motor skills, some can affect your senses, some can affect the memory, and some can affect the emotions and moods of a person. Bipolar disorder is one of the many brain diseases existing today. This particular brain disorder can have negative impact in your life because this disease affects a part of the brain that controls emotions and moods.
With a bipolar disorder, you can never have complete control of your moods and emotions. It will cycle from manic episodes to depressive episodes that can disable you in your daily tasks. The psychological symptoms for bipolar disorder include mania and depression. These are the two classifications of bipolar disorder and this is also the reason why this disease is also called manic-depressive illness.
In the manic episodes, the person suffering with bipolar disorder will experience excessive euphoria or a feeling of high. This means that the mood of a person is at a high where he or she has increased energy, feeling of not needing to sleep, racing thoughts, and also confusion about certain ideas. You will notice that a person that suffers from mania jumps from one idea to another and will seem that they can never make up their mind about it. Another factor that you should consider in the manic episodes of bipolar disorder is that the person will be extremely optimistic, very irritable and cannot concentrate well. They will never admit that something is wrong.
In the depressive episode, the person suffering from bipolar disorder will experience excessive depression. The mood will be excessively sad, very pessimistic, decreased or no interest in doing an activity that is pleasurable which includes sex, and they will often think about death and suicide. In severe cases of bipolar disorder in the depressive episode, the person suffering will actually commit suicide.
As you can see, this particular disease is a very serious illness that needs careful management and care. Because of the constant cycle of the moods of the person suffering from bipolar disorder, they will never be able to concentrate on their daily tasks. This means that having bipolar disorder can disable you because it can affect your performance level at work or at school negatively. You should also consider that because of the effects of bipolar disorder, the person suffering from this illness will also have a poor social life and will often have relationship problems.
Bipolar disorder has no cure. However, there are treatments available today that can effectively manage the disease. The treatment will include psychotherapy, and medications. Sometimes, the psychiatrist will combine the therapy and medication to effectively manage bipolar disorder.
It is important to remember that there is no cure for bipolar disorder and this particular disease is considered as a long term illness that needs long term careful management and care. Also, bipolar disorder can never be detected through X-rays or CAT scans. The diagnosis is purely based on the symptoms shown. So, if you notice that you or a member of your family is showing some symptoms of bipolar disorder, it is important that you should seek help immediately. The psychiatrist you go to will be able to give you some effective bipolar disorder management strategies that you can use to minimize the effect of the illness. The specialist will also prescribe some medications that can reduce the effects of bipolar disorder
Always remember that careful management and care is the key to treat bipolar disorder. This disease is something that you will live with for the rest of your life and knowing how to effectively manage and treat it will mean that you will be able to take control of your moods and emotions again.
Guest post by Lindsey Wright
The holiday season is a time for relaxation, family and delectably-tasty treats. From the special turkey dinner at Thanksgiving to the finger foods at holiday parties, it is hard to avoid putting on a little holiday weight. Though staying fit, healthy and slim through the holiday season will require restraint and dedication, it is possible to get the most out of the season without giving into the sweets cravings and lazy temptations.
Plan Workout Times:
For many who gain weight during the holidays, the lack of a plan and the mindset that it is impossible to give up those special treats leads to failure. However, according to Women Fitness, taking the time to plan ahead for holiday workouts make it easier to maintain the schedule when it is tempting to sit on the couch and watch that silly holiday movie with the family. Thus, it is important to work out when an appropriate time to exercise is and what will lead to the best success in terms of sticking to your plan.
Eat Every Meal:
During the holidays, it is easy to anticipate that special dinner or party and try skipping out on meals to save extra calories. Unfortunately, Peter Walsh from Oprah.com points out that skipping meals can actually result in extra weight gain. The hunger from avoiding necessary meals results in overeating at the special occasion and taking in more calories than you would have otherwise. This can be particularly true for stressed individuals, such those who have put in a lot of the time at office (or the malls) as well as students who have been hitting the books extra hard for their online classes, as stress can also cause people to overindulge.
Spend Time on Muscle Building:
When devising an exercise plan, always remember to include some muscle building exercises. While it might not be possible to get to a gym and use the lifting equipment, taking a few minutes for exercises such as pushups, squats, and lunges can maintain muscle mass and improve your metabolism.
Muscle building is just as important for the holiday months as it is for any other time of the year. More muscle mass results in a higher overall metabolism that works more efficiently even when the body is at rest. Trying to spend every other day on simple exercises that build muscle can help maintain or lose weight.
Plan a Day for Cheating:
Sticking to a strict diet during the holidays is challenging, particularly when it comes to the special treats that are only around in the winter. Fortunately, staying fit through the holidays doesn’t necessarily mean giving up every treat. Instead, you can plan ahead for a couple days a month to indulge yourself during the holidays. The key to the day of indulging on a diet plan is to keep the amount of treats you eat to a moderate level. Enjoy a slice of pie or extra-buttery mashed potatoes, but avoid overeating.
Eat Slowly:
With so many tasty foods set on the table, eating quickly is a common part of the holidays. Unfortunately, the body requires a little time to process when the stomach is full. By the time the brain acknowledges that it is full, fast eaters often find that they’ve eaten too much and now feel like the stuffing-filled turkey.
Taking the time to savor the meal and chew food thoroughly will not only make the experience more enjoyable but also allows the mind to recognize your body’s signals for when you are actually full.
Pay Attention to the Foods:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that diabetic individuals should pay attention to the foods they are eating and avoid or limit foods that have heavy sauces, glazes or gravies. Although the CDC is providing advice to men and women who must watch their blood sugar, the fact that it can help reduce excessive calories and sugars without giving up good food applies to anyone looking to stay healthy during the holiday season.
Avoid turkey that is covered in gravy or the part of the ham with the honey glaze. Instead, opt for pieces without the gravy-heavy, sugar-filled honey or other sauces. This will reduce your caloric intake at the meal without forcing you to eat less.
The holiday season is a tough time for anyone trying to stay fit and healthy. Fortunately, continuing to exercise and working out a plan to avoid eating extra calories is the key to staying healthy and maintaining your weight.
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The deck of cards workout provides a challenging workout for all ability and fitness levels without needing to use any equipment. All you need is a deck of cards. The basic workout uses the four different suits to determine what exercises you will do and the cards themselves determine how many repetitions you will do of each exercise. Read more…
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